Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Ghana Opens New Call for Applications Following Successful First Cohort

First cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Ghana, 2024

November 21, 2024. Accra, Ghana: Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa), in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, is calling for applications for the second cohort of the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Ghana after the successful completion of the first acceleration program.

Participant in EdTech Fellowship Demo Day, Ghana 2024

Led by MEST, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation through its Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning, the Fellowship provides entrepreneurs with critical business and educational support—such as insights into the science of learning, financial support, and networking opportunities—preparing them for scale, sustainability, and impact. Applications for the 2025 Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship in Ghana are now open.

The call for applications comes as the first cohort of 12 startups showcased their solutions to a panel of investors, industry experts, and education leaders at a Demo Day on November 21. From AI-driven learning platforms to interactive tools for students and teachers, the startups showcased innovative solutions addressing some of Ghana’s most pressing educational challenges and showed how their impact could be amplified beyond the 119,412 young learners who participated in the program’s use-case testing.

“The Fellowship has driven educational innovation, especially for rural communities in Ghana. By providing essential support, we’ve empowered entrepreneurs to create inclusive solutions. We are proud of their progress and look forward to future collaborations to enhance these impactful initiatives,” said Greg Coussa, Strategic Director, MEST Africa.

Speaking at the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Demo Day, Angela Duho, the Program Manager at MEST Africa, shared, “The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship has been instrumental in helping these EdTech companies develop robust and impactful solutions for Ghana’s education sector. We are incredibly proud of what this cohort has achieved through the mentorship and business model assessment. Our inaugural cohort has reached 119,412 learners and we believe they are well-positioned to make significant contributions to the future of learning in Ghana and beyond.”

Participants in EdTech Fellowship Demo Day, Ghana 2024

“At the Mastercard Foundation, we are intentional about building demand-driven EdTech innovations that close the gap in access and quality to provide relevant learning for the most underserved. So far, 140 EdTech companies have been accelerated since the Fellowship kicked off in 2020. Through our ongoing partnership with MEST Africa, we hope that the next iteration of Fellows from Ghana will prioritize relevance, access, and sustainability for greater impact. While technology makes life easier for us all, it makes everything possible for those without access and opens pathways for them to learn and prosper,” added Rodwell Mangisi, the Acting Director of the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning.

The program’s showcase of its first cohort included:

● Perbi Cubs: An innovative literacy program using engaging digital tools to address poor reading skills among Ghanaian and African children.
● Inspiring Teachers Ghana: A nonprofit helping teachers improve learning outcomes for Ghanaian children by leveraging expertise in teacher training and program development.
● Dext Technology Limited: Developers of innovative, user-friendly, and affordable tools for effective STEM education.
● Loozeele Excellence Academy: Pioneers of STEM-focused early childhood education in the Upper East region, offering comprehensive learning experiences at an accessible cost.
● Ayaprep: An educational application that teaches mathematics in local Ghanaian languages, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity in learning.
● Qknow Edtech: Democratizes education by offering quality learning resources and personalized tutoring, utilizing technology and educator expertise.
● Wonderspaced: An educational content creation, publishing, and distribution platform promoting critical thinking, creativity, and literacy through interactive content.
● DeafCanTalk: Revolutionizes accessibility for Deaf students with assistive technology, removing communication barriers and enabling inclusive education.
● Firefly IO: Pioneers hands-on STEAM and Robotics education, fostering curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
● Coral Reef Innovation Hub: Prepares students for the future workforce through AI, content development, and EdTech services.
● eCampus: Revolutionizes learning with technology-driven solutions, facilitating smarter studying, employability, and prosperity for a billion learners worldwide.
● Alpha Virtual Academy: A comprehensive digital learning platform for K-9 schools in Ghana, featuring interactive modules, assessments, teacher training, and administrative tools.

Looking ahead, the Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship will continue to support the growth of these ventures as they scale their operations and impact through MEST. As part of the Fellowship alumni network, the entrepreneurs will have ongoing access to resources, mentorship, and investment opportunities.

Participants on stage for the EdTech Fellowship Demo Day, Ghana 2024

For media inquiries, contact:

Francis Akondor
Senior Associate
Marketing and Recruitment, MEST Africa
francis@meltwater.org

About MEST Africa

Established in 2008, the Meltwater Foundation is the non-profit arm of the global media intelligence company, Meltwater. Its mission is to create job opportunities and drive economic growth in Africa through software entrepreneurship, primarily via the Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST Africa). Based in Accra, Ghana, MEST offers a one-year, specialised tech entrepreneurial training program for top talent from over 22 countries, including Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, and Senegal. Additionally, MEST invests in early to growth-stage startups.

In 2020, MEST Programs was launched to forge partnerships with other foundations and organisations that share our goal of creating wealth and jobs in Africa through digital skills training and startup acceleration. MEST Africa has trained over 2,000 entrepreneurs and invested in more than 90 startups across various industries throughout Africa.
Visit meltwater.org to learn more.

About The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship

The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship is an entrepreneurship acceleration program designed to support promising, African EdTech ventures. Implemented in partnership with innovation hubs and EdTech accelerators across Africa, the Fellowship provides select EdTech companies with critical business and financial support, as well as insight into the science of learning, preparing them for scale, sustainability, and impact. The Mastercard Foundation EdTech Fellowship was launched in 2019 by the Mastercard Foundation Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning with the goal to partner with 12 Tech Hubs to support over 250 EdTech companies and reach at least 1.8 million young people by 2025.

Media Contact: jbiira@mastercardfdn.org

About the Mastercard Foundation

The Mastercard Foundation is a registered Canadian charity and one of the largest foundations in the world. It works with visionary organizations to advance education and financial inclusion to enable young people in Africa and Indigenous youth in Canada to access dignified and fulfilling work. Established in 2006 through the generosity of Mastercard when it became a public company, the Foundation is an independent organization separate from the company, with offices in Toronto, Kigali, Accra, Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, Dakar, and Addis Ababa. Its policies, operations, and program decisions are determined by the Foundation’s Board of Directors and leadership.

Learn More about the Centre for Innovative Teaching and Learning